Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant to Retire at End of 2013

Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that he will not seek re-election next year and is retiring at the end of 2013.

“God willing, I shall continue to fulfill my duties and responsibilities in every respect until the end of next year.By then, I will have practiced law for over 39 years and prosecuted for 30 of those years.Being Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia’s largest city has been the most challenging and the most satisfying part of my career”, Bryant said.The office is comprised of 37 attorneys and a total staff of 87, at one time consisting of a total of 92.“These are, in my mind and experience, the best folks anyone could ask to work with.”

Bryant began his prosecution career in the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office where he was promoted to one of three deputy positions after only two years.In 1979, he entered private practice with the firm of Rabinowitz, Rafal and Swartz, where he was made a partner after three years.In 1987, Bryant went back to prosecuting for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk and Newport News division, where he was promoted to a supervisory position, and eventually to the Chief of the Criminal Section for that division.

In 2000, Bryant was appointed to fill the remaining term of the Honorable Robert J. Humphreys, who had been appointed to the Virginia Court of Appeals.Bryant ran in a special election in 2000 and again in 2001 for a full four-year term, and has been re-elected two other times.

“I also look forward to continuing my duties as a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, as well as Board of Director positions for the National District Attorneys’ Association, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys, and the Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Services Council.”